Dundee has a vast amount of unused green space areas on the doorstep of peoples homes. They are prone to littering, fly tipping, are unloved eyesores in communities, and difficult and costly for the council to maintain. 

Backyard Botanicals in Mid Craigie are neighbours who want to make our neighbourhood a happier, cleaner, healthier place to live. We have been given permission to maintain this unused council greenspace on our doorstep, which can only be accessed through houses which are on its boundary. 

We seek to rejuvenate the area with wildflower, plants, and trees which support our eco systems and improve bio diversity. Our vision with our space is to grow food but also to create a tranquil, colourful haven for insects, animals, birds and bees. We hope to grow local flowers and plants that will support insect pollinators that have been in steep decline due to climate change and habitat loss. In addition to the food that we eat, pollinators support healthy ecosystems that clean the air, stabilise soils, and support other wildlife. 

With investment we would like to use two Polycrub tunnels as they are a community based business dedicated to using recycled materials. "They are designed to withstand extremely strong winds, snow, frost, collisions from air born debris and vandalism". Backyard Botanicals invisage growing long term and any investment on equipment needs to be good quality and built to last.

All of the neighbours involved are determined to create a safe space where not only us but our children and grandchildren can be involved from the beginning, learning about growing food, pollinators and the environment that they helped create on their doorstep. 

Where possible, reusing and upcycling second hand items preventing them going into landfill; using natural materials to create a wildlife corridor; sharing of plants, seeds and cuttings through community engagement. 

We would like the grant money to purchase gardening tools, a lawnmower, 2 polycrubs, fruit trees and wood/materials to build raised beds as some of our neighbours have mobility issues. 

With surplus harvest, we aim to food share with family, neighbours, and local food larders.

We hope to inspire others to rejuvenate their greenspaces in their communities. Looking afresh at neglected sites within their neighbourhood could bring new possibilities for a healthier community and a healthier planet by reducing the carbon footprint on the food we eat and also bringing pride back into the areas where we live.

Watch our VIDEO to find out more about our project!

We are a local community group who have recently taken over the redundant bowling green in Fairmuir Park, in order to establish a community garden.  Thanks to the support of the Dandelion Project (Unexpected Gardens) we have made an excellent start with the community garden.  However, we have much wider ambitions and want to build on the work already started .

Our aims for the future cover two of the criteria in the Climate Fund - Resilience and Community Engagement.

We want to make the garden more productive by growing larger amounts of fruit and vegetables which could donate to those in need and the local community larder.

We want to encourage more people to grow their own food in order to reduce the carbon footprint of the food we eat.

We wish to support our eco systems and bio diversity through types of plants we grow and the gardening methods we use. this would include recycling of green and brown waste through  composting , the use of natural fertilisers; supporting a natural pond and providing homes for birds and bugs.

We hope to increase the numbers of people in the wider community who use the garden by providing a wide range of workshops and community activities.

Dandelions began community engagement by providing free lunches once a week through the summer and we would like to continue this activity.

To achieve our aims we would like to apply for funding for materials to build more planters for the garden and polytunnel, cold frames, a tea/coffee shack and  a mud kitchen for the children. These are the materials we have asked for the immediate future.  We have put in three quotes which vary between a total of £10-12000.

Thank you for considering our bid.